Fair Jewelry Action

Fair Jewelry Action (FJA) is a Human Rights and Environmental Justice Network within the jewelry sector. FJA promotes ethical and fair trade jewelry business by advocating traceability and transparency in the jewelry supply chain. FJA’s objective is to direct more of the economic impact of the jewelry sector toward the regenerating of local economies in small-scale artisan producer communities, supporting of cultural integrity and environmental sustainability. Through its communications platform and standard setting activities, FJA will function as a driving force to consumers, making ethically and fairly traded jewelry the only moral choice. It will support jewellers by connecting them with the source of their material and enabling them to see the social, environmental and market advantage of providing ethical products.

According to Greg Valerio, one of the co-founders of the organization, “As a starting point, jewelry brands must not lose sight of the simple fact that traceability and transparency are the foundational bedrock upon which any ethical scheme must be judged. If you don’t know where your material comes from, you are morally compromised.” In addition to supporting jewellers and brands that source traceably and transparently, FJA will provide a world-first published and electronic ethical and jewelry manual and education materials, available to all jewelers and jewelry businesses. It will also provide lecture materials to jewelry students, aiming to inspire, facilitate and empower jewellers to become more ethical and fair trade in their business practice.

FJA will host campaigns in support of the rights of indigenous people, communities and small-scale miners affected directly or indirectly by unjust situations involving mining. FJA will be highly focused, supporting only those that it can impact, utilizing social media, an established network of suppliers, ethical jewellers, NGOs, press and action on the ground. FJA is currently supporting the rights of Inuit small-scale ruby miners to mine, own, transform and sell ruby from Greenland without fear of prosecution or marginalization at the hands of the Danish run Bureau for Mines and Petroleum and neo-colonial business interests.

Recognizing that small-scale mining strengthens communities and has the potential to redeem economies in the third world, FJA will support mining projects enabling miners and their products to reach fair trade certification. FJA will provide financial support, scoping studies and advice from qualified professionals, liaise with locals, practical help in implicating the project along with encouraging public support through press and up-to date information. FJA is a programme launched in the UK and USA by fair trade jewellers and ethical jewelry advocates Greg Valerio and Marc Choyt. In the UK only, FJA will operate within the charitable trust of The CRED Foundation (no1072426).